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Apr 29, 2011

The average American creates 4.6 pounds of trash each day, and that really piles up! All our trash in the landfills emits a gas called methane, which is the second biggest cause of global warming. And some of the trash we make gets to the ocean, which has created a huge garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean.
To reduce your impact on the landfill, try some of these following tips:

This is the book that got me started on the whole consumerism and environmental thing. Before I read Get Real, I wasn't really a big tree-hugger. I recycled, and I turned off the lights when I left a room, but that was just habit. I never really thought about why I did those things, or what would happen if I didn't.

This book explains how everything you buy, from a car to a tuxedo to a Tootsie Roll, has an impact on the world. One chapter is about advertisements and how they try to deceive you. The next is about sweatshops and factory workers (titled "And All I Got was this Lousy T Shirt"). More are about fast food, e-waste, and genetically modified foods. Then it shifts to a positive focus, mentioning local stores, fair trade chocolate, and "designer greens" (products designed to be good to the environment). Next it tells you about how to tell actual eco-friendly products from the "greenwashers." The last quick chapter is appropriately titled, "Do It." This chapter is about how you can make a big difference.

After reading this book, I've started seeing things in a new light. Instead of seeing a shirt, for example, just for how it looks or fits, I see where it came from, what was used to make it, and how it will eventually become trash. It inspired me to start this blog and really got me thinking about the world.

Apr 13, 2011

Believe it or not, the world's largest landfill isn't on land at all - its in the middle of the Pacific Ocean! The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a section of the ocean where currents bring trash to an area estimated to be twice the size of Texas. Charles Moore, a marine researcher, has estimated the mass of the patch at 100 million tons.

An estimated 80% of the garbage comes from land based sources......meaning you and me! Most of it is plastic. The plastic disintegrates into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces until the pieces are molecules. But get this: It's still plastic! Eventually, that plastic is ingested by aquatic organisms. Plastics have been found in the stomachs of marine birds and animals such as albatrosses, jellyfish, and more - research has shown that this debris affects at least 267 species across the world.

"Why do I care?" you ask, being human. Besides the fact that it's totally gross, more than a million birds and marine animals are killed each year who eat or get caught in the trash. Plus, these jellyfish and other animals are eaten by bigger fish, and then by us. So those toxic chemicals can make their way into your dinner!

How to keep the Patch from growing:

Reduce the amount of disposable plastic you use. Try using a reusable container or water bottle instead of a Ziploc bag or plastic bottle.

Apr 1, 2011

Exhaust fumes from cars account for about half of the world's CO2 emissions from transportation. Most transportation's fuel is oil. Burning oil produces carbon dioxide, which leads to global warming. Burning oil also gives off pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, and hyrdrocarbons. "Why should I care?" you ask, being human. Pollutants can get you sick! They cause health problems such as shortness of breath, chest pains, asthma attacks, increase allergy symptoms, eye irritation, and cause lung cancer. Instead of driving by yourself or with just one other person, why not try:

Carpooling

Biking or walking

Taking the bus or other form of public transit

Even if you only make these changes about once a week, you still have an impact. Everything counts!